Jimmy Salinas, a 20-year-old San Lorenzo artist, is trying to spread the word about PsIQo, a D.I.Y. clothing company he runs out of his home.
The idea for the company developed from a Myspace profile that Salinas' cousin and collaborator, Maurice Bass, made for an, at the-time, fictitious clothing company based around a couple of images and the word, "PsiQo."
Today, the cousins are printing two crew-neck sweaters and several 100% cotton T-Shirts with the name and aesthetic Bass had envisioned.
"PsiQo means different," Salinas said. "It means unique, not white collar, and it's the alter ego of who you think you are."
This statement seems to resonate with PsiQo shoppers. San Lorenzo local Annette Serrano has faith in Salinas and the company.
"He is a great young man," she said. "I just recently purchased shirts from Jimmy and the designs and graphics were great; good quality, and durable."
While Salinas began drawing as a child, and considers himself mostly self-taught, it was the inspiration of a high school teacher his freshman year that influenced him to dedicate his life to art.
"Mr. Smith from Moon Valley High School in Arizona changed everything for me. That was when I really started to take drawing seriously," he said.
The cousins now split up the work with Salinas drawing the designs by hands, and then sending these ideas to Bass, who renders digital versions using graphic designer software.
"We're trying to get known in the urban community," said Salinas. "We don't want to get sucked into a big corporate thing."
Two shirts are currently offered on the PsiQo website, and according to Salinas, another shirt and the two sweaters should be up soon.
For more information visit the PsiQo facebook page or follow the cousins
